On the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), President Bola Tinubu has officially unveiled the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), a strategic initiative aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. The launch ceremony took place at the Microsoft Office in New York, USA, on Friday, September 22, 2023.<\/p>\n
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Represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, President Tinubu introduced NATEP as a transformative project that seeks to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for talent outsourcing, following successful models in countries like India, Bangladesh, Mexico, and The Philippines.<\/p>\n
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The launch event attracted esteemed dignitaries from multilateral institutions and global tech giants, including Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum; John G. Coumantaros, Chairman of the US-Nigeria Business Council; Floriezelle Liser, President and Chief Executive of Corporate Council on Africa; Amal Hassan, Chief Executive of Outsource Global; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency; Adaora Ikenze, Meta Head of Public Policy for West and Central Africa; Ola Williams, Country Manager of Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana; Joel Ogunsola, Chief Executive of TechDev; and Dr. Femi Adeluyi, National Coordinator of the programme.<\/p>\n
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Ursula Wynhoven, Representative of the International Telecommunication Union at the United Nations; Dr. Armstrong Takang, Chief Executive of Ministry of Finance Incorporated; Charles Murito, Director, Sub Saharan Africa \u2013 Government Affairs & Public Policy at Google; Charles Okochu, Senior Business Development Manager at Amazon AWS; and Michelle Masuzyo Nsanzumuco, AfCFTA Digital Trade Expert, were also among the notable attendees.<\/p>\n
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Dr. Uzoka-Anite, delivering President Tinubu’s welcome address, emphasized NATEP’s significance as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to establish Nigeria as a global leader in service exports, talent sourcing, and talent exports. The program will address the unique needs and challenges of the talent and service export industry while focusing on enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable growth through services trade.<\/p>\n
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Furthermore, NATEP aligns with President Tinubu’s vision for job creation, aiming to generate one million in-demand jobs across Nigeria over a five-year period. The initiative is expected to achieve three significant outcomes: job creation, foreign exchange inflow through remittances, and increased tax revenue for state governments.<\/p>\n
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Saadia Zahidi, the Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, praised NATEP as a timely initiative addressing crucial areas of skills and employment for Nigeria and the world, expressing the WEF’s readiness to collaborate with Nigeria on the program.<\/p>\n
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Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, commended Dr. Uzoka-Anite for spearheading NATEP and pledged his ministry’s support for the initiative. He stressed the importance of talents and in-demand workforce as integral components of the global economic structure, highlighting how leading countries worldwide actively attract and retain top talents.<\/p>\n
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The launch event also featured a panel discussion moderated by the National Coordinator of NATEP, with panelists Amal Hassan, Ola Williams, and Adaora Ikenze. The discussion garnered positive feedback and commitment from participants to support the NATEP initiative.<\/p>\n
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The event concluded with the unveiling of the NATEP logo, signaling Nigeria’s readiness to become a global talent exports hub.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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